Pawapua

A great castle of speckled black stone sits upon the great dormant volcano of Motosui known as Padapali. Carvings of ancestors, particularly the God Daykai, cover the walls. The nature preserve known as Lomyom Forest sits to the South, between the castle and the glimmering ocean beyond. A stone road leads away West, to Halamahi, and East to the Eastern farming villages. Merchants and travelers pass by along the road, some stopping at Pawapua Village - the shrine and minor market at the base of the castle gates. This small but wealthy commercial outpost is run entirely by acolytes of the Keepers of the Dead, who collect offerings from passersby in exchange for amulets and blessings. Armed and armored wagons roll by, towards the castle gates, carrying dozens of selkie pelts for catalogue and storage. 
Through the blackstone gates and walls of fortification lie the Halls of the Keepers of the Dead, where the archives are kept and expeditions are planned. Sacred and blessed gateways, carved with ancient statues and woven with blessed and ancient painted ropes, lead deeper into the old volcano, into the heart of the Earth.
Within the depth of the black stone and obsidian glass are the ancient lava tubes of Pawapua, one of the most sacred spaces in selkie culture. Ghostly otters play in the air, swimming through stone passed the ashes and pelts of thousands and thousands of ancient selkies. The pelts of their old selves make the ghosts playful, perpetual otters in harmony with the sea and with the mountain - it makes them more spirit than person at times. This is the great collection of pelts, the inner vault of the Khilaia's forbidden treasures.

Tourism

The Shrine of Daykai and the ancestors welcomes pilgrims and travelers seeking to make an offering as they go. A single inn, the Pilgrim's Rest, offers succor for those seeking to stop along the road. The August festivities of Dayhaidol are particularly grand here, and attract many pilgrims to the shrine and inn - great plays celebrating the ancestors are conducted in an ancient blackstone theater here, overlooking the forest and seas.

Type

Underground / Vault

Population

600

Location under

Khilaian Isles

Owning Organization

The Khilaia